Draft-rigging.



G. A. IOHNSON. DRAFT mama.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.8. 1918. LQOQQh Patented Apr. 15,1919, F' i491/ 16, ,1y 7

f l VM INVENTOR.

s BY lg \/4 I ITToR/'IY Laooaoa..

GECBGE .a JoHNsoN, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIGNon T o WILLIAM H. MINER., or CHAzY, NEW YORK DRAFT-mesmo.

Specicationof Letters Patent.

Application filed January 8, 1918. Serial No. 210,865.

ToA all whom it may concern.'

Be it known .that I? GEoRCn A. JOHNSON,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Draft-Rigging, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specication.

This invention relates to improvements in draft riggings.

The object of the invention is to provide 'a relatively inexpensive, compact shock absorbing mechanism, more particularly adapted for railway cars and which is composed of few parts and wherein the use of stop castings is avoided.

In the drawing forming a part of thls specification, Figure 1 is a longitudinal, ver- V tical, sectional'view of a portion of a draft rigging showing my improvements in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is a horizontal, sectional View taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. And Fig. 3 is a transverse, vertical, sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

In said drawing 10-10 denote channel shaped center or draft sills of a railway car arranged in the ordinary manner and to the inner faces of which may be secured plain reinforcing plates 11-11 where the draft gear is to be located. rThe improved draft gear, as shown, preferably embodies four transversely arranged removable keys 12, 13, 14 and 15 mounted in suitable slots cut' in the plates 11 and sills 10. All of said keys 12, 18, 14 and 15 are stationary and adapted ranged springs 19-19 and hold the latter in position. A combined spring spacer and limiting stop 20 is .preferably interposed between the springs.

The front set of keys 14 and 15 are spaced vertically a proper distance to receive the butt 21 of a draw bar so that the lower key 15 supports the draw bar butt and the latter is guided between both keys 14 and 15. The rear set of keys 12 and 13 are so spaced as to receive and guide the rear endfof a horizontal yoke 22 which is connected to the coupler by a key 23. To Support and guide the followers, the rear follower 17 is provided with rearwardly extended horizontal raten-tea apr. i5, rara.

flanges 24-24 slidably engaging the upper and lower surfaces of thel keys 12 and 13, respectively, and the front follower 16 is provided with similar forwardly extended orizontal langes-2525 engaging the upper and lower surfaces of the keys 14 and 15, respectively. The rea-r follower 17 may also be provided with a central rearward extension 26 which slides between the keys 12 and 13.

As will be apparentfrom the preceding description, the followers are supported by the keys as well as limited in their movements thereby. This eliminates the necessity of supporting or saddle plates for any of the parts inasmuch as the springs are in turn carried bythe followers 16 and 17. The arrangement is very compact, is inexpensive and avoids the use of the usual shouldered stop castings while at the same time providing for the necessary capacity for a spring type of gear although the invention i may be employed with other types of cushioning medlums.

' I claim:

1. In a draft rigging, the combination with draft sills, of a front set of vertically spaced transversely extending keys mounted in 'said sills, a draw bar having the butt vthereof supported by and guided between said keys, a rear set of vertically spacedtransversely extending keys mounted in said sills, a horizontal yoke connected to said draw bar having the rear end thereof supported and guided by said keys, followersv interposed between sald keys, integral means on said followers coperable with the respective sets of keys and by which said followers are supported and guided, and cushioning means between the followers.

2. In a draft rigging, the combination with draft sills, of a front set of'vertically' spaced transversely extending keys mounted in said sills, a draw bar having the butt thereof supported by and guided between said keys, a rear set of vertically spaced transversely extending keys mounted in said sills, a horizontal yoke connected to said 'draw bar having the rear end thereof supported and guided by said keys, followers interposed between said keys, and cushioning means between the followers, each of said followers having horizontally extending flan-ges slidably. engaging the upper and lower surfaces of the upper and lower keys respectively of the corresponding set of keys. 10 In Witness that I claim the foregoingl v have hereunto Subscribed my name this 29th dayof Dec. 1917.

GEORGE A. JOHNSON. 

